Pub landlady seeking nearly £1 million after fall from height

Industry news roundup: week ended 10 Dec 2012:

It’s a bad day for one pub landlady this week after she had to make a personal injury claim after a nasty from a fall from height from an attic ladder.

Mira Bateman, the fifty seven year old publican and tenant of the Plowden Arms, located near Henley-on-Thames, when fell from the ladder after its retaining bolt gave way, falling to the ground, knocking out one of her teeth, fracturing her jaw, injuring her spine and neck, and knocking herself unconscious. The initial incident, which occurred two years ago, Mrs Bateman still suffers from back pain originating from spinal nerve damage, according to an MRI scan that revealed the debilitating and serious damage.

However, this week the former landlady has made a personal injury claim against W.H. Breakspear & Sons, the owner of the Oxfordshire brewery, for £975,000. Mrs Bateman claims that the brewery had a duty to provide proper and safe access to the attic area of the pub, though the brewery has been adamant that they are not responsible for the incident, and have since remarked that Mrs Bateman should have made her personal injury compensation claim much sooner than she had.

Now, the matter rests in a judge from the High Court of London, which will decide if the former landlady will be permitted to pursue her claim against the brewery. Regardless of whether Mrs Bateman will be barred from pursuing her claim due to the amount of time elapsed between the initial injury and now, falls from height can and routinely are the cause of incredibly painful and serious injuries.

The ironic part of the entire situation is that the landlady had been attempting to put away Christmas decorations after the end of the festive season two years ago when the unfortunate incident occurred. It would be a shame if the injured woman was denied the ability to pursue her claim as Christmas is a scant fortnight away, though the law has little in the way of sentiment in situations like this.